Senators push for federal assessment of right whale deaths

April 28, 2018

BOSTON (AP) — Eleven Democratic senators are asking the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to conduct an urgent assessment of the impacts to the endangered North Atlantic right whale from fisheries in Canada.

The senators led by Massachusetts Democrat Edward Markey said fishing communities across New England have worked to reduce impacts on marine mammals. Markey said last year most observed right whale deaths were in Canadian waters.

There are only about 450 North Atlantic right whales left, and they experienced high mortality last year.